Sweet Scores Top-Five Finish in the Empire State
Brad Sweet and the NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 team traveled to New York for two nights of racing in the Empire State Challenge at Weedsport Speedway, but the first night was canceled when inclement weather struck. Sweet, who entered the event tied for first in World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series championship points, hoped to gain an advantage amid fierce competition in the finale.
The four-time and reigning Outlaws champion put on an impressive display in qualifying rounds. Sweet clocked a lap time of 13.865 seconds around the 3/8-mile D-shaped clay track. His time, sixth-quickest, set the stage for an exciting day of racing ahead.
In his heat race, the Big Cat drove to the win from a second-place start and secured a spot in the Fast Pass Dash. With his daughter Savannah drawing his starting spot in the dash, Sweet scored the second starting spot, giving him a chance to test his car in clean air. The dash was another spectacle for sprint car fans in attendance who saw Sweet battle hard and come home second, placing him on the front row for the evening’s 35-lap feature race.
With some of the best sprint car drivers in the world competing in the feature, Sweet saw fierce competition from the time the green flag dropped. The NAPA driver showcased his resilience through the challenges and ultimately secured a commendable fourth-place finish. Now second in championship points, the Sweet and the No. 49 team head next to I-55 Raceway for the Ironman 55.
Start / Finish:
Saturday, July 29: canceled
Sunday, July 30: 2 / 4
Points Standing / Total: 2nd / 5,914 (-8)
Next Race: Friday, August 4, I-55 Raceway, Pevely, Mo.
How to Watch or Listen: www.dirtvision.com
NAPA: @NAPARacing
Brad Sweet: @BradSweet49
Kasey Kahne Racing: @KKRdirt
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Kasey Kahne Racing View All
Kasey Kahne Racing (KKR), located in Mooresville, NC, was formed in 2005 and employs more than ten people dedicated to sprint car racing. The organization fields two entries in the High Limit Sprint Car Series; Brad Sweet (NAPA No. 49) and former NASCAR Cup Series driver Kasey Kahne (No. 9). Collectively, KKR has 7 World of Outlaws and High Limit Racing Championships (Daryn Pittman in '13 and Brad Sweet in '19, '20, '21, '22, '23 & ‘24). In addition, Eric Prutzman has won Crew Chief of the year 3x (’19,’23 & ’24). Since the team's inception, KKR has amassed over 290+ national dirt car wins.